Eyes on the Street

An anonymous photographer snapped the above photo last Wednesday on Terry Francois Boulevard, across from AT&T Park, where SFpark electronic meters were recently installed. It seems one driver got the wacky idea that the new meters require cars to park perpendicularly, across the bike lanes, and the other drivers followed?

Details are still trickling in about last Tuesday's hit-and-run crash near the intersection of Van Ness Avenue and California Street that left a 31-year-old San Francisco woman in the hospital with life-threatening injuries, but a visit to the intersection revealed plenty of hazards to pedestrians that could easily result in future injuries.

Hot on the heels of a mystery stenciler who couldn't wait for bike lane improvements, the Department of Public Works has done some stenciling of its own at one of the city's most hazardous intersections for pedestrians. On Thursday, crews worked to paint in brick-like patterns on two of the intersection's three crosswalks, increasing their visibility while also making them a bit more attractive.

We've written before about obstructions caused by motorcycle cops parked in the bike lane (and the SFPD generally doesn't have a good reputation among cyclists), but yesterday around 4:30 p.m. -- a few hours after Sunday Streets wrapped up -- I spotted a cop parked in the bike lane on Valencia Street just before 16th for a good reason: to shoo away a motorist who was double parked.

So whether or not this is a result of Supervisor Bevan Dufty's oversight hearing or a very auspicious coincidence, Streetsblog San Francisco reader Megan Allison (who runs several good blogs, including goodurb.com) sends us this photo of a cop and his K-9 companion on Muni.  Unlike jackalope and Sasquatch sightings, we're pretty sure this is an authentic member of the SFPD and his trusty German Shepherd. 

Thanks to busbozo for submitting these very nice photos!  Submit your pictures for our Eyes on the Street feature, as well as video and links here: sf.streetsblog.org/contribute/.

On a recent Tuesday morning, at Folsom and 25th streets in The Mission, I watched one of the more bizarre street-cleaning rituals I've ever seen in any city. I know San Francisco drivers get a free parking pass in front of numerous churches on Sundays (just check out Valencia Street), but I had never seen car owners squat on the sidewalk for street cleaning.